Angry German woman at Hotel Europa

tsg

New member
Mar 25, 2007
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My wife and I just moved to an apartment in Sosua owned by some family of hers. Since there is no power back up, I installed an inverter and I wanted to attach the batteries on the outside of the apartment wall in a rack next to our balcony- we are staying on the 2nd floor, so it could not be a problem to anyone. But I was wrong about that!

The wall is facing a courtyard belonging to Hotel Europa and I was told in at least three different languages by a woman, who was threatening with police and fiscal, that I could not attach anything to that wall. The woman was very excited about this and I chose not to get into an argument, but simply buy for 1.000 pesos more cable and place the batteries on our balcony.

We called a plumber the next day, because the water to our apartment was shut off. I could not believe it, but this German woman shut us off as a punishment for thinking that we could do what is normal with the batteries on a wall that does not even belong to her. She did have an excuse about a leak, but I don't buy that.

Normally I recommended Hotel Europa to arriving tourists, but that won't happen again.

I doubt that she gets message, but this post is for telling her and others in similar jobs, that it pays off to treat other people friendly.
 

GringoCArlos

Retired Ussername
Jan 9, 2002
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Ahhh, cultural differences, gotta love them.

"what is normal" means different things to different cultures. In many Spanish cultures, the tendency is to make the inside beautiful, and it really doesn't matter what the outside looks like. This is why many homes are built right along the sidewalk, and have inner courtyards for the residents to enjoy without the whold world looking at them. To Europeans and North Americans, the outside is more important, because they consider that it reflects on the occupants.

Examples: houses or apartment buildings that initially look beautiful. Then, because the architect or builder "forgot" to plan for A/C installations, tinacos, inverters, etc. someone else comes along later and starts hanging racks on the outside walls. In time, and for lack of maintenance, rust starts running down the walls, green slime starts growing because it's always wet, etc but to the apartment owner, it doesn't matter because they don't have to look at it, and "it's normal" in the DR. It's not always the case, but is for the majority of the time.

Our apartment building is covered with ugly A/C racks on the outside of the building. The new building next door is an exception, and the builder actually thought ahead and built narrow balconies with attractive screens in front of the A/C units so that no one else must look at them.

Our apartment building gets the front facade facing the street repainted every year, but the sides and rear have not had new paint in at least 15 years. When I asked about it, I was told "nobody sees those walls, and besides, it's too expensive to paint all of the walls." All of the other residents of my building are Dominicans and they thought that I was crazy to want the rest of the building to receive fresh paint.

I wonder what the people in the neighboring buildings think when they have to wake up every morning and stare out their windows at our ugly building. What a way to start the day, every day. From the sides or the rear, our middle-class apartment house looks no different than any of Balaguer's ugly concrete boxes lining Ave. Mexico, or any barrio along the River in Santo Domingo (but inside it sure is pretty.)

This may explain your "rude German " neighbor's attitude. They don't want to be looking at your ugliness for the next 15 years either, from their beautiful courtyard, which to them may have represented a bit of insulation from the ugliness in other arts of Sosua, both for themselves and their guests who may not be ready to face "what is normal" in the DR.

Just because something is "normal" here, doesn't mean we have to contribute too, does it? Do you throw garbage out of your car as you drive down the street - that is "normal here " too, correct? What, you don't have a laundry room or a maid's area in which to install your inverter?

If we each contribute a little bit in our own ways to make the DR a bit more beautiful, won't it improve in time? It only requires a little bit of forethought and planning.

I doubt that you will get my message, but she didn't start the unfriendliness. And just because someone "owns" a property doesn't mean that the neighboring community doesn't have a small ownership stake in your property too. What one does to their own property often has an effect on the value of others property too, which is why zoning laws have evolved, and stratas, etc - to combat those who choose to do whatever they want to the detriment of others. Good luck.
 
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tsg

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Mar 25, 2007
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First of all this "courtyard" is used by Hotel Europa for laudry and storage of drinking water and they already have some "stuff" of their own hanging on the mentioned wall. Beautiful is the last word that comes to my mind, when I look at how they have chosen to "decorate" their "courtyard".

The wall is not visible from any of the hotels guests living areas. I think they might have a passage going through the yard from some of the apartments to a street exit.

I had no problems placing the batteries on my own balcony out of sight from the hotel staff, and that is what I did, but I don't like being met by that womans attitude. She could have started out with a "Hello" and maybe being a little polite in stead of starting screaming about what I can and cannot do on a wall that does not belong to her or her boss. That way we could have been good neighbors for the next 15 years, but now I will recommend tourists to seek other accomodation.

If it comes to the choise, I will always prefer a messy paradise instead of a pure hell, but I agree with you 100%, that we all should contribute to make this place more beautiful. My 3 year old daughter knows where to put the garbage, but she certainly also knows how to say "Buenas dias", "Adios", "Por favor" and "Gracias"!

I am sorry for my bad English - it is not my native language. Backyard would probably have been a better word than courtyard!
 

GringoCArlos

Retired Ussername
Jan 9, 2002
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I agree with you tsg about her "greeting". That too is a cultural difference, and when Dominicans meet someone, their normal first words are "buenas dias" or another greeting and nicety before beginning to speak further with anyone. Many foreigners in the DR jump right in with whatever is on their mind without the normal pleasantries, until they learn their latin manners.